Link with specialist school proposed to boost vital SEND provision
Plans to reopen a former primary school as a specialist educational establishment to increase the number of much-needed school places are being put before councillors next week.
Last year Colegate Primary School in Felling was closed due to falling pupil numbers, with pupils transferred instead to other local schools.
Now Gateshead Council has put forward plans to reuse this building as a much-needed facility for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It will complement the current specialist education provision already in place.
The proposal, which will be reviewed by Cabinet next Tuesday, 18 February, is for the council to work in partnership with Cedars Academy Trust, who already run a similar educational facility in Gateshead.
Like everywhere locally, regionally and nationally, Gateshead is facing significant challenges in relation to specialist school placement sufficiency, which has led to increased tribunal appeals for such places, with the legal framework currently favouring parental choice for placement.
There has been a huge growth in the number of children and young people receiving education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which has significantly contributed to this increased need. As a result, councils like Gateshead are struggling to provide the number of places required.
Over the last three years alone there has been a 29.5 per cent increase in the number of EHCP plans in Gateshead, and a 38.12 per cent increase over the last five years.
Councillor Gary Haley, Gateshead Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "Every child matters in Gateshead and so it is imperative that we make sure we are giving all our children and young people the best possible start in life.
"For many children with SEND, that means being able to access mainstream education and be supported to do so, which we are working hard to achieve with our schools.
"But some children and young people need specialist provision due to more complex needs, and that is what is in short supply. As an academy Cedars can access government support and funding, which as a local authority we cannot.
"They already provide outstanding special needs provision in Gateshead, and so it makes sense we use their expertise and ability to be able to draw down this funding to achieve the best possible outcomes here, without incurring further costs to the council, which we can ill afford.
"It is also great news that the former primary school premises can be so quickly repurposed like this, and not be mothballed long term, putting even more financial strain on the council."
He added: "Transport issues have also been closely considered, and I am confident this proposal will not impede local traffic more than when it was operating as a primary school."
There are six specialist schools in Gateshead, of which five are local authority maintained. The other is an all-age academy, run by Cedars. However, these schools are oversubscribed, with Gateshead's maintained specialist schools already providing education for a total of 139 children over and above the agreed places the council has available.
This has led to increased challenges for the schools, who have needed to create temporary classrooms or include larger numbers of children within their classes, hence the need for more places to be established with a new school.
However, the government rules are that all new schools must be run as academies or free schools and cannot be run as local authority-maintained schools, hence the plan to partner with the already established Cedars Academy Trust. Under the proposals the school premises will be leased to Cedars who will be responsible for maintaining the facility, including contributing to any repairs it may need before opening, and employing staff. This will be reviewed after five years, with the aim of it providing an income for the council long term.
Cedars Academy Trust head teacher Julie Vincent said: "We are delighted to be in talks with Gateshead Council over their plans to open a new specialist education facility. It is very exciting to be part of this discussion.
"We offer a specialist provision for children and young adults with physical, sensory and medical needs, speech, language and communication disorders, autism, and a wide range of other complex needs often associated with emotional vulnerability.
"Our community of staff, parents and governors' sole aim is to nurture, inspire and prepare our young people for life, both physically and mentally, so they can lead happy and healthy lives."
Cabinet is being asked to approve the transfer of the former Colegate Primary school site via a lease decision to the Cedar's Academy Trust, to support with specialist school sufficiency from September 2025.
If approved, this will support the council's SEND strategy, which includes ensuring sufficient school places to meet the needs of Gateshead's children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Councillors are also being asked to approve plans for the SEND capital funding released as a result of this proposal, to be used instead to support the development of provision within the remaining five maintained specialist schools in Gateshead.
Plans to reopen a former primary school as a specialist educational establishment to increase the number of much-needed school places are being put before councillors next week.
Last year Colegate Primary School in Felling was closed due to falling pupil numbers, with pupils transferred instead to other local schools.
Now Gateshead Council has put forward plans to reuse this building as a much-needed facility for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It will complement the current specialist education provision already in place.
The proposal, which will be reviewed by Cabinet next Tuesday, 18 February, is for the council to work in partnership with Cedars Academy Trust, who already run a similar educational facility in Gateshead.
Like everywhere locally, regionally and nationally, Gateshead is facing significant challenges in relation to specialist school placement sufficiency, which has led to increased tribunal appeals for such places, with the legal framework currently favouring parental choice for placement.
There has been a huge growth in the number of children and young people receiving education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which has significantly contributed to this increased need. As a result, councils like Gateshead are struggling to provide the number of places required.
Over the last three years alone there has been a 29.5 per cent increase in the number of EHCP plans in Gateshead, and a 38.12 per cent increase over the last five years.
Councillor Gary Haley, Gateshead Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "Every child matters in Gateshead and so it is imperative that we make sure we are giving all our children and young people the best possible start in life.
"For many children with SEND, that means being able to access mainstream education and be supported to do so, which we are working hard to achieve with our schools.
"But some children and young people need specialist provision due to more complex needs, and that is what is in short supply. As an academy Cedars can access government support and funding, which as a local authority we cannot.
"They already provide outstanding special needs provision in Gateshead, and so it makes sense we use their expertise and ability to be able to draw down this funding to achieve the best possible outcomes here, without incurring further costs to the council, which we can ill afford.
"It is also great news that the former primary school premises can be so quickly repurposed like this, and not be mothballed long term, putting even more financial strain on the council."
He added: "Transport issues have also been closely considered, and I am confident this proposal will not impede local traffic more than when it was operating as a primary school."
There are six specialist schools in Gateshead, of which five are local authority maintained. The other is an all-age academy, run by Cedars. However, these schools are oversubscribed, with Gateshead's maintained specialist schools already providing education for a total of 139 children over and above the agreed places the council has available.
This has led to increased challenges for the schools, who have needed to create temporary classrooms or include larger numbers of children within their classes, hence the need for more places to be established with a new school.
However, the government rules are that all new schools must be run as academies or free schools and cannot be run as local authority-maintained schools, hence the plan to partner with the already established Cedars Academy Trust. Under the proposals the school premises will be leased to Cedars who will be responsible for maintaining the facility, including contributing to any repairs it may need before opening, and employing staff. This will be reviewed after five years, with the aim of it providing an income for the council long term.
Cedars Academy Trust head teacher Julie Vincent said: "We are delighted to be in talks with Gateshead Council over their plans to open a new specialist education facility. It is very exciting to be part of this discussion.
"We offer a specialist provision for children and young adults with physical, sensory and medical needs, speech, language and communication disorders, autism, and a wide range of other complex needs often associated with emotional vulnerability.
"Our community of staff, parents and governors' sole aim is to nurture, inspire and prepare our young people for life, both physically and mentally, so they can lead happy and healthy lives."
Cabinet is being asked to approve the transfer of the former Colegate Primary school site via a lease decision to the Cedar's Academy Trust, to support with specialist school sufficiency from September 2025.
If approved, this will support the council's SEND strategy, which includes ensuring sufficient school places to meet the needs of Gateshead's children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Councillors are also being asked to approve plans for the SEND capital funding released as a result of this proposal, to be used instead to support the development of provision within the remaining five maintained specialist schools in Gateshead.
